California’s much-anticipated Healthy Soils Program officially launched August 8 with the release of the first Request for Grant Applications (RGA) by the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA). The deadline for applications is 5pm on September 19th. The first of its kind in the country, the program will provide grants to farmers and ranchers for implementing on-farm practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or store carbon in soil, trees and shrubs. Types of practices that will be eligible include the addition of mulch and compost, cover cropping, reduced tillage, and the planting of herbaceous and woody plants such as windbreaks, hedgerows, riparian plantings, filter strips, silvopasture and more.

This year, RCDs from Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino County, NRCS, UC Research and Extension Centers and other partners collaborated as the North Bay Soil Health Hub with funding from the CDFA Specialty Crop Block Grant to create an information-sharing network that would support farmers in improving their soil health. The network is currently laying the groundwork for soil health demonstrations, workshops with industry specialists, farmer-to-farmer forum discussions, an online resource library and more. The RCDs invite farmers to access and contribute to resources and discussions online at the North Coast Soil Health Hub.

Attention Grapegrowers: RCD Needs Your Input on Soil Health

Vineyard Soil Health SurveyFor vineyards in the North Coast region of CA, what does soil health mean? Gold Ridge RCD, along with the regional RCDs, NRCS, and others, are in the early stages of a grant-funded project to generate discussion, demos, and science on soil health and soil carbon as it relates to vineyards in our region.

The survey is the first step in understanding what climate beneficial practices can be expanded on our region's vineyards. Please take this survey to tell us what types of soil health practices are being used (e.g. cover crop, compost application), what types of soil health practices are difficult to implement, and what types of soil health practices grapegrowers are curious to learn more about. In the next year, the regional RCDs will be setting up 3 soil health demo sites in Napa Valley, hosting workshops, and offering free soil health assessments to growers. Stay posted on these efforts via the new North Coast Soil Health Hub website.